Anjeer (Figs) in Pakistan - Health Benefits, Origin, Nutritional Value and for Diet

In Pakistan, dry fruits are very popular and are used in cooking, baking or glazing of dishes all around the year. People especially start to buy lots of dry fruits when winter arrives. Lots of street vendors can be sighted at the side of the roads.

It is mainly due to the fact that these dry fruits provide warmth to the human body and of course due to its undeniable heavy nutrients that they bring. And when people go and buy some dry fruits it is nearly impossible that they come back to their home without having anjeers in their shopping bags.

What is the origin of anjeer?

Anjeer is internationally known as fig. Anjeer belongs to a flowering plant that is grouped under the mulberry family. Here in Pakistan, the local name is anjeer. Anjeer is available in dried form throughout the year and can be seen in almost all the dry fruits stalls.

Anjeer is native to the Middle East and Western Asia. Today, it is cultivated throughout the world, both for the nutritious value of anjeer and as well as an ornamental plant.

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Anjeer can grow in a dry and sunny location. The interesting thing about this plant is that it can grow healthily in poor soil. It can even grow in the dry conditions of the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean climate.

Under suitable conditions trees of anjeer can become a large, dense tree. Anjeer trees also have two sexes male and female. Female one bears anjeer and the male assists the female tree. Without the male tree, the female one will not be able to bear fruits.

Where are anjeer produced mostly?

According to the United Nations FAOSTAT, the main producers of anjeer around the globe are

• Turkey producing 305,689 tones
• Egypt producing 177,135 tones
• Morocco producing 137,934 tones
• Algeria producing 128,684 tones
• Iran producing 70,730 tones

The total production can be calculated to be 1,152,799 tones. In Pakistan, Figs are grown in a small scale in areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Punjab. Nowadays, it is is also available on online stores. You can checkout the prices of Anjeer in Pakistan and also compare it on Shoppingum.

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To meet the demand Anjeers are to be imported to Pakistan. However, if cultivated properly Pakistan can become self-sufficient in the supply of anjeer.

Exciting ways to enjoy Anjeer in a daily diet!

Anjeer is a natural candy to eat. Anjeer can be eaten in many ways.

Fresh Anjeer

Fresh Anjeer is pear-shaped and its soft and juicy content is incredibly delicious. Though it is quite difficult to keep the fresh fig well and so it is dried, processed and then transported to markets and shops. Otherwise, the softness of the skin of fresh anjeer and crunchiness of the seeds with the sweet taste is matchless.

Dried anjeer can be further used to make juices, halwas, murabas, meethais, shakes, salads, etc.

It can be eaten with oatmeal and cereals in the morning to have a perfect start to the day with a glass of milk. Old people eat anjeer to help them overcome joint pains and people also opt towards anjeer to have a healthy sexual life.

The nutritious value anjeer can bring in your daily life!

The nutrients inside anjeer has proved it to have the best nutritious value. 100 grams of anjeer can give you 310kJ Energy as it has almost 19.18 grams of carbohydrates, 0.30 grams of Fats, 0.75 grams of Protein.

The vitamins and minerals it contains, cannot be neglected. It contains Vitamins like Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Vitamin B, Folate, Choline, Vitamin K. Plus it has all the main minerals essential for the human body in just the right proportion such as Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc.

This explains the fact that this fruit has numerable medicinal uses and is being cultivated and consumed from ancient times.

How can eating anjeer can be your way towards a healthy lifestyle!

The benefits of the fruit can be found in Islamic and Christian scriptures. Athletes consume anjeer in their daily diet to gain strength and boost stamina according to the historian Spartans used to have anjeer in their diet. Consuming figs can help you to have a healthy body due to the following facts:

Anjeer is rich in fiber

• It has a remedy to enhance digestive health. Anjeer has great fiber content that adds bulk to the stools, hence, aiding in healthy bowel movement.
• It can help to prevent breast cancer. It is quite beneficial for women to consume figs in their adolescence and early adulthood.
• Anjeer helps to clear extra cholesterol deposited in the blood vessels and passes them through stools.
• The fact that anjeer brings a huge amount of fiber to help the bowel movements means that it is also very helpful to prevent colon cancer.
• 2-3 Anjeer can be soaked overnight in water and taken with honey in the morning to get relief from constipation and diarrhea.

Source of Omega 3s and Omega 6s fatty acids

• Anjeer reduces the risk of heart diseases by providing Omega 3s, Omega 6s and phenols in your human body.
• These elements also help to maintain blood pressure.
• These fatty acids and phytosterol lowers the synthesis of natural cholesterol in your body.

Essential Minerals

• As a rich source of iron. Consuming figs can help to increase the hemoglobin concentration in your blood helping you to avoid complications and can save you from respective diseases. It is good for growing children, babies, pregnant and lactating mothers to have it in their diet to obtain iron from it. Figs can thus also help to cure anemia.
• Potassium released from figs helps the human body to prevent high blood pressure.
• Due to richness in potassium figs helps to remove hypertension from the body.
• Anjeer is also rich in magnesium along with calcium, zinc, potassium, and iron. that means, adding anjeer in daily diet can aid in good performance of muscle and nerve functioning, building healthy and strong bone structure.
• These essential minerals also help to generate sex hormones of androgen and estrogen. It also helps with various types of dysfunction such as lack of sexual appetite, erectile dysfunction. It has proved to be a great supplement for fertility.
• It also kills bacteria and viruses in the immune system hence making it more immune and stronger.
• For better results soak 2-3 anjeer in a glass of milk and drink it in the morning.

Antioxidizing Vitamins

• Interestingly figs also prevent age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). The essential antioxidants vitamins A, B, E and carotenoids provided by figs work perfectly to keep a healthy sight for a human body.
• Antioxidizing the nature of anjeer helps to get relief from Asthma. Drinking fig juice can help to keep the bronchi healthy thus it is also effective for bronchial infection and plays a role in the soothing of the throat. Figs juice is also good for the development of babies and has nutritional importance close to mothers’ milk.
• The anti-oxidizing nature of anjeer removes the free radicals from the human body which are responsible for the coronary blockage, hence consumption of figs can also prevent coronary heart disease.

Apart from consuming figs. Figs extract can also be applied!

• Figs paste can be applied on hair scalp to obtain the benefits through it. Figs are the main ingredient for the shampoo and conditioner industry as it makes your hair lighter and silkier than before.
• Applying the extract on the face and washing it with warm water can help to get over with the wrinkles and have brighter and better skin. It can also be used as a face mask, honey or yogurt can also be added to get a better texture of the skin. It can be applied for 5 minutes and then washed daily to make the face feel fresh.
• Anjeers are also used as a balm for venereal disease.
• To help cure throat pain anjeers paste can be applied on throat.
• Figs can directly be applied to boils or warts to cure them.

Figs leaves are also of medicinal importance

• Extract made out of leaves of figs can be consumed to prevent hepatic damage to the human body hence aiding to the health of the liver.
• The leaves can also provide natural laxatives so it is used to make laxative syrups
• Also, the seeds inside the figs are active fighters against piles. And then the fiber provided by the fig can help your body to easily remove them. The best method to cure piles through figs is to soak it in the water for 12 to 13 hours. Consume figs along with water in the morning and before going to bed.

Do not eat too much anjeer unnecessarily

There are no major side effects of anjeer though the diabetic patients who are taking insulin should consult their doctor before adding fig in their diet because insulin and anjeer collectively take the sugar level down and can take too low for a human body and a person can feel weakness. Furthermore, caution should be taken while eating fresh fig that it is fully ripped because unripe figs can cause allergy. A person having a sensitive skin should consult his or her doctor before applying figs on the skin or scalp.

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